The Handkerchief
by alykailyn96
Summary: After losing in the Pokemon Contest Grand Festival, Dawn has become something of a shell of her former self. Getting into a fight with Ash doesn't really help the situation. Dawn runs away from her friends and finds a certain violet haired boy along with a Pokemon that is rumored to signify love. Minor Ikarishipping, PaulXDawn


**I don't own Pokemon, the intro is mostly from Bulbapedia, section DP177, but improvised to fit this story. Enjoy!**

* * *

_The grand finale is under way at the Pokémon Contest Grand Festival, and it's sure to be an unforgettable battle! Just as they hoped, longtime friends and rivals Dawn and Zoey are facing off against each other for the title of Top Coordinator. And since each of them is using a Pokémon that the other has never battled against, the round promises to be full of surprises!_

_Zoey's Gallade and Glameow start off strongly, displaying Zoey's brilliant strategic mind. But the team of Dawn, Piplup, and Togekiss is formidable indeed, and as we near the end of the battle, both sides appear to be evenly matched._

_Oh, what is this? Piplup, who has just jumped onto the back of Togekiss, is now using Peck while Togekiss is using Sky Attack! How amazing! The duo are glowing a remarkably red light, looking like a rocket! And it's headed straight for Zoey's Pokemon! But wait! Gallade has just jumped onto Glameow's springy tail, initiating Psycho Cut while Glameow charges up the attack with Thunderbolt! You'd have to see it to believe it!_

_As the final seconds tick down, the two are still neck-and-neck- oh, here we go, folks! The Pokemon's attacks have just collided and caused the stadium to erupt in smoke! I can't see a thing! ...Alright, the smoke is clearing and we can now see that all the Pokemon are still standing! How wonderful! Oh, there goes the bell... And it seems that Zoey's points barely edge out Dawn's... Folks, we have our winner! Zoey is declared the Top Coordinator!_

_Thanks everyone for listening yet again, come back in two hours, ten in the evening, to hear this amazing battle story once again!_

Dawn turned the radio off and pulled her knees up to her chest, her eyes glazed over as she stared at nothing. It had been a week since her loss at the Pokemon Contest Grand Festival, and Dawn hasn't been taking it very well. Zoey and Nando had told her after they competition that it had been a great battle, indeed it had been, but it was not to her liking. She wasn't strong enough to win the Festival... To avoid seeming sad in front of her friends and mother, she feigned happiness. Lately, Dawn had dropped her fake smile and began to show her friends that she was truly upset about the contest. Ash and Brock hadn't said a word.

Pulling her knees closer to her, Dawn shut her eyes tightly, trying to stop the tears she knew were about to come when she thought about her friends not caring about her. A twig branch snapped, followed by a familiar cry of, "Pika-Pika?" sounded from the edge of the clearing. Dawn slowly lifted her head and saw Ash and Brock returning from their trip to find firewood along with Pikachu and Piplup. Her friends didn't say anything as they dropped the wood onto the ground, trying to start the fire. She lowered her head again, trying to suppress her sniffles as Pikachu and Piplup curled up next to her.

A half hour passed while Brock cooked dinner for the three of them and their Pokemon companions. Ash looked over at the distraught girl who hadn't moved an inch since this morning and groaned. Standing up, he walked over to her.

"Alright, Dawn, that's enough." Dawn lifted her head at the sound of Ash's voice and looked at him with glazed eyes. "You've been moping around like this for a week; you need to get over it." Brock looked up from his cooking to watch Ash's poor attempt at "controlling the situation". Ash's fists clenched tightly, "We've been trying to go at a slower pace to accommodate for you, because that's what friends do, but you've done nothing but sit and cry! I have to get to Sunyshore City so I can challenge Volkner; at this rate, it will take a month to get there!" Dawn continued to stare at him with her glazed eyes, her now clenched fists going unnoticed by Ash. "Well? Are you going to say something? I have to get there in two days or Volkner isn't going to let me battle him, and if you can't keep up, then I'm sure you can catch up after I leave tomorrow morning!" Pikachu and Piplup shuffled closer to Dawn, as if trying to put some distance in between her and her angry friend.

"Now hold on, Ash. You can't just leave Dawn like that," Brock said, walking over to the two. "What's gotten into you? I know you're eager for your match, but your friends should come before anything else. Your battle can wait."

Ash shot Brock a quick glare before turning back to Dawn, ignoring everything his friend just said. "Well, Dawn? What's it going to be? Are you going to just sit and cry for another week or are you going to pull yourself together and come with me in the morning?" He asked, glaring at her.

Dawn closed her eyes for a few moments. Opening them back up, she stood up and glared at her friend, "If I'm right, which I know I am, then you've been upset plenty of times after losing a match."

"And I quickly got over it! I learned from my mistakes and moved on!"

"Yeah, well I'm not you, Ash!" Dawn turned around and ran away from her two friends and Pokemon companions, running straight for the forest.

Ash started to follow her, "Dawn, get back-"

"Leave her alone, Ash," Brock said, grabbing his arm. "She just needs some time to herself to get over this loss. It's not something easy for her, so be considerate, alright?"

Ash glared at the tree line for a while but soon sighed in defeat, nodding his head. "Alright..."

* * *

Dawn ran as fast as she could into the forest; she didn't want to deal with Ash at the moment. As she started to run short on breath, Dawn slowed to a stop and sat on the ground with her back against one of the nearby trees. Clutching her knees close to her chest again, Dawn sobbed silently, her body shaking. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve before leaning back against the tree again.

"_...Disc..._"

Dawn perked up after hearing a faint cry in the wind, but it was so quiet, she wondered if she had imagined the sound.

"_...Disc disc!..._"

Standing up, Dawn began walking over to where she heard the cry coming from.

* * *

"Froslass, use Ice Shard, full power!" A call cried out from a clearing not too far away from Ash's. A Froslass raised it's arms above it's head, making a ball of ice appear, before throwing it at a faraway tree, freezing it completely. "Hn. Do it again."

"_Disc, disc!_"

Paul turned around and looked left and right. When he saw and heard nothing, he turned back to Froslass and figured that he was getting to much sun.

"_Luv... disc! Disc!_"

Growing annoyed, he turned to his other Pokemon who had been running laps. "Keep going until I get back." Without another word, Paul retreated into the dense, wooded area to find where that dreadfully annoying sound was coming from.

* * *

Dawn walked through the trees, ducking under a low hanging branch every now and then, her eyes still red from crying so much. She continuously heard what she assumed was a Pokemon cry while she walked. Soon, another clearing came into view as Dawn stepped out of the trees.

"W-Wow! This is gorgeous!" Dawn cried, looking at a sparkling pond in front of her. She clasped her hands together as she looked admirably at it, but turned her head to the right when she heard a tree twig snap. An all too familiar boy with violet hair stepped out of the trees, Paul. Paul turned his head to the left and saw her before ultimately deciding to walk over to her. "Um... Hi, Paul... What are you doing out here?" Dawn asked as he stopped in front of her, while she wiped the remaining tears from her face.

Paul stared at her for what felt like eternity before he asked, "Who are you, again?"

Dawn's eyes narrowed and she started throwing her arms around for emphasis, "Why can't you remember my name!? It's not that hard! It's Dawn, D-A-W-N!"

Paul smirked slightly before turning back to the lake. "Why are you here, anyways," he asked.

"I thought I heard a Pokemon calling out. What about you?"

"Hn."

Dawn glared at him, "That's not an answer, you know."

"_Luvdisc, Luvdisc!"_

The two perked up from hearing the sudden call of the Pokemon that had been calling out to them. Paul and Dawn walked over to the edge of the lake and Dawn took a sharp gasp, kneeling down by the edge.

"Oh, they're so cute!" Dawn said, pointing to a school of fish Pokemon playing by the edge of the water. The one closest to her jumped out of the water and nuzzled against her cheek before diving back in, leaving a giggling Dawn.

Paul pulled out his PokeDex and aimed it at the fish Pokemon.

**"Luvdisc, the Rendezvous Pokemon. It lives in warm seas. It is said that a couple finding this Pokemon will be blessed with eternal love."** Paul snapped the device shut before looking down at the Luvdisc again.

"Hn. Useless."

Dawn turned around and stuck her tongue out at him, "You are!"

Paul rolled his eyes, "I wasn't talking about you."

"Oh yeah, what are you doing in this area, anyways? Shouldn't you be on your way to the Sunyshore Gym?" Dawn asked, patting the ground next to him. He gave her an incredulous look, but her narrowed eyes told him to just shut up and sit like he was asked.

Paul rolled his eyes again and sat down, "It's none of your business."

"Oh come on, how about this. You answer my questions and then I'll answer any questions you have!" Dawn suggested.

"Tsk. Asking questions would signify that I care."

Dawn glared at him, "Whatever! So why aren't you on your way to the Sunyshore Gym?"

After a few moments, Paul said, "I'm not an idiot. I don't challenge Gyms unless I am one hundred percent certain that I can win. I'm training my Pokemon until I believe they are at their maximum potential."

"Ohhh..."

The two sat in silence for a while, watching the Luvdisc play with each other.

"Where are those two idiots of yours?" Paul sneered.

Dawn stiffened up, which Paul noticed immediately, before she looked down at her lap. "Back at the clearing, in the woods... I don't really care right now, to be honest..." Dawn whispered as tears began to slide down her cheeks.

Paul stared at her for a moment more before standing up and offering her a hand. Dawn looked up at him for a moment before taking it and standing up with him. With his other hand, Paul pulled a white handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her. Dawn looked confused, but took it while watching him curiously. Smirking, Paul said, "Don't cry, it makes you look pathetic." Turning around, Paul began to walk away.

Dawn looked at the handkerchief; it was white and had _Paul_ embroidered in purple letters at the bottom right corner. Clutching it tightly, Dawn looked back up and watched Paul walk away until he was out of sight. Smiling, she wiped her face and looked back down at the Luvdisc who nuzzled against her cheek. It seemed to be smiling at her, Dawn thought.

"Would you like to come along with me?" Dawn asked the pink Pokemon.

"_Luvdisc, luv, luv, Luvdisc!"_

Giggling, Dawn pulled an empty Pokeball off of her belt and tossed it at the cute Luvdisc. Once the ball snared the Pokemon inside, it bounced back into her hands. Dawn smiled again, "Welcome to the team, Luvdisc."

* * *

Dawn walked back to her campsite, Pokeball and handkerchief in hand. She saw her friends and all of their Pokemon settled down while eating dinner. "Hey, guys! I'm back!"

Brock and Ash looked up at her. "What do you have there, Dawn?" Brock asked.

Sliding the handkerchief into her pocket, she tossed the Pokeball up into the air and released her new companion. "This is Luvdisc, everyone! She'll be joining us!" Dawn smiled.

Brock and Ash walked over and said hello to Luvdisc. Standing back up, Brock said, "I don't know if it's thanks to this Luvdisc or not, but you seem much happier, Dawn," he said while smiling.

Dawn nodded her head. Ash cleared his throat and she looked over at him. "Look, Dawn... I'm sorry I was acting all... You know..."

Dawn smiled and gave him a hug, "Don't worry about it. Everything is fine now." Dawn let go of him before walking over towards the table. Pulling out the handkerchief, she looked at the name embroidered into it, giving one last smile. "Everything is perfect..."


End file.
